


Augmentum

by bertie



Category: The Martian (2015), The Martian - All Media Types, The Martian - Andy Weir
Genre: Anal Sex, F/M, M/M, Oral Sex, Polyamory, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-10
Updated: 2015-11-14
Packaged: 2018-04-30 23:52:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5184440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bertie/pseuds/bertie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Life back on Earth is almost harder than life on Mars.</p><p>But having Chris and Beth there every step of the way makes it a little easier.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> title is Latin for "growth"
> 
> officially marked as completed and left unfinished

Mark sits straight up in bed, gasping for air. Chris and Beth are awake immediately and go into their well rehearsed roles for dealing with Mark’s nightmares. Beth slides from the bed to first retrieve the plastic waste basket from the other side of the room and set it beside Chris. They learned the hard way that sometimes Mark’s body dealt with the stress by expelling whatever happened to be in his stomach. She leaves the room quietly to get him water.

Chris allows Mark some time to get his bearings before touching him. He carefully lays his hand on Mark’s back, letting him feel the weight.

“Mark? Where are you, sweetheart?” Chris asks, voice light and soothing.

“I don’t know,” Mark whimpers, curling his fingers into the comforter.

“You’re on Earth, Mark. You’re in our condo with me and Beth. You’re safe now, we’ve got you.”

“Beth.”

“Yes, Beth is here. She’s getting you something to drink. Do you know what year it is?”

Mark glances around like the answer might be in their bedroom. His eyes fill with tears. “I don’t—”

Chris uses his sleeve to wipe Mark’s eyes. “Shhh, it’s okay, baby. You don’t have to answer. Can you tell me my name?”

Mark looks at him, his blue eyes wide and scared, but then they soften as he recognizes him.

“Chris,” he says.

“That’s right. You’re doing perfect. Do you feel sick at all?” Chris asks him, pushing his hair back off his forehead.

It sticks up in all directions with sweat.

“No,” Mark answers. “I’m okay.”

“That’s good. Do you think you can drink some water?”

Mark nods, and Chris strokes his back gently. Beth returns and smiles at him comfortingly. He smiles back but it’s feeble, taking the bottle of water from her with a shaking hand. He drinks slowly, and as minutes pass he comes back to himself. He looks down at fingers wrapped around the water bottle and sighs heavily.

“I’m sorry.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry for,” Beth says, reaching up to stroke the hair on the back of his head.

“Your mind is trying to work through what you went through and that’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Chris explains, slipping his hand underneath Mark’s t-shirt to rub his lower back.

Mark rubs his eyes with his thumb and forefinger, sniffling suspiciously. Beth leans her head on his shoulder.

“I have nightmares too, you know,” Beth says.

“You’ve never said anything,” Mark says, his voice strained.

“We all do,” Chris says, his voice light and warm. “We all barely slept after we left Mars because every time we closed our eyes all we saw was you. Sometimes I still wake up thinking you’re gone, but then I hear you snuffling over there on your pillow and I have to turn you over or you won’t shut up.”

Mark laughs, but there are tears slipping down his cheeks.

“I should have known . . . I’m—”

Beth glares at him. “If you say you’re sorry, I will punch you in the mouth.”

“But I am.” Mark doesn’t bother to wipe his face and takes another drink from his water.

“You have more important things to worry about, honey. We’re okay.” Beth strokes his cheek, wiping the tears away. “You can worry about us after you’re healthy again.”

She takes the empty water bottle from him and sits it on the nightstand. He settles back down in the middle of their big king-sized bed, snuggling up to Beth to listen to her heartbeat. Chris tucks himself flush against his back, wrapping his arm around his waist and kissing his neck.

“I love you,” he murmurs.

Mark can’t help the way his stomach leaps even after months of this. “I love you too.”

Beth kisses his hair. “I love both of you dorks.”

“I love you, nerd.”

“I love you too, Beth.”


	2. Chapter 2

The day Chris comes home from work to find Mark and Beth curled up on the sofa together he knows things are going to be okay. He’s got his head tucked up under her chin, blinking slowly at the television. She is wearing Mark’s NASA t-shirt and he is wearing his University of Chicago hoodie and a pair of Chris’s sweatpants. His hair is messy and wild like he’s been sleeping all day.

Chris slips his sneakers off and hangs up his jacket before he pads over to them. When he enters their line of sight, Mark looks up at him with a drowsy smile. Chris cups his face in his hands and kisses him softly.

“What a great welcome home present,” he says, leaning over to kiss Beth as well. He smoothes his hand over Mark’s hair. “You look sleepy.”

“I am,” Mark says before a jaw-popping yawn.

“How’d you sleep last night?” He sits down at Beth’s feet and Mark immediately shifts over to curl into his side.

“I don’t remember waking up, but I don’t think it was restful,” he says, resting his head on Chris’s shoulder.

“Hmm, maybe you’ll sleep better tonight. I can give you something to help, if you want.”

Mark replies with a hum and then he’s quiet. A second later he jumps and Chris tightens his arm around him.

“It’s all right. I’ve got you,” he soothes, and Mark settles back down against his chest. “I’ve got you.”

He dozes off again, fingers curled into Chris’s shirt.

“Do you think he’s getting sick?” Beth asks, her voice pitched low.

“I think it’s just his body trying to heal. He went through hell and I bet the switch from space to Earth is causing trouble as well. He’ll probably take twice as long as the rest of us to get back to normal.”

Chris watches Beth look at Mark, her expression soft and adoring. She smiles gently.

“I’m so glad we have him back,” she whispers, and he sees tears collect in her eyes.

He smiles back at her. “Me too.”

After a few quiet moments, Beth gets up carefully from the couch and kisses Mark on the forehead. She kisses Chris softly and slips into the kitchen to make dinner. Chris settles into the cushions, happy to hold Mark while he sleeps. He closes his eyes, letting the gentle rise and fall of Mark’s chest against his side influence his own breathing. Soon Chris feels his breathing slow and he lets his mind drift as he leaves a tired kiss on the top of Mark’s head.

Chris thinks he remembers hearing Beth smother a laugh and mutter something about “their Christmas card” but he can’t be sure.


End file.
